RFID technology-based wireless transmission of data enables effective communication of data and data management in the absence of physical connections, with a transmission quality that is equal to contact-based technologies. One such application is the use of RFID technology as an alternate to contact smart cards, or other memory devices that require contact in order to communicate their stored data.
When acquiring physiological signals for recording and analysis via biomedical sensors, it is valuable to the user that certain information about the sensor be available to the monitoring system. This information may include type of sensor, configuration of electrodes, the number of times the sensor has been used, date of manufacture of the sensor, identity of the manufacturer and the manufacturing lot number. The monitor can utilize this information to determine how to process data or even to detect whether to allow use or to limit reuse of the sensor. An alternative to entering the data manually is to include such data in a memory device integrated into the sensor itself. Integration of memory devices in biomedical sensors and in medical devices in general has been documented in conjunction with numerous previous inventions. Perhaps the most representative is U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,255. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,255 Cordero et al. describe a sensor system including a monitor, a smart sensor and the accompanying hardware and software interface to authenticate the source and validity of the sensor. A smart card memory module is incorporated into an electrophysiological sensor for the purpose of storing data pertaining to the sensor. The memory module is mounted on a rigid connector used to connect the sensor to the monitor. Although the data contained in the memory device for the present invention may be the same as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,255, the nature of the memory device and the method by which the system communicates with the memory device are distinct.
In US Patent Application 2004/0008123A1 Carrender et al. focuses on the use of RFID for monitoring and tracking medical devices utilizing RFID techniques. An RFID tag programmed with information about the manufacturing of the device as well as the status of the device, is attached to the medical device to be monitored. A detection system is coupled to the tag in order to access the data. In an alternate arrangement the data can be read and revised by a reader device which may be linked to a database.
US Patent Application US2005/025842A1 Zarembo describes a system and a method for managing information related to implantable medical devices. The system is comprises a disposable RFID unit external to the implantable medical device (IMD) yet packaged with the device. The RFID unit contains information primarily related to the manufacturing of the device. Such data may include inventory information, assembly management information, measurement results, and traceability information. An RF communication device is used to interrogate the RFID unit. This RF communication device may be associated with the IMD programmer or it may be part of a global or hospital communication network.
One further RFID application in the medical field is protection against counterfeiting of pharmaceutical and medical devices. In US Patent Application US 2005/0289083 Ngai et al. detail a system that employs a parent-child relationship between two RFID tags for the purpose of authenticating products that are delivered in a plurality of containers packaged within a single package. Each container is affixed with an RFID child tag and the outer package is affixed with a parent tag. Using various methodologies based on the data stored in each tag (e.g. a UID) and on information in a database, the authenticity of the relationship and that authenticity of the package is determined.